Fighting For Everything
by Mirandabelle
Summary: It's 1965 and both Hawkeye and Margaret have painful secrets. Now united it's up to them to find their children and bring them together into a loving home. HM in the future. Chapter4 & 5 up! My apologies for not posting my favourite review
1. Chapter One: A meeting

Fighting For Everything  
  
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D/C: You know the drill by now. Don't own 'em, never have, never will! Ben, Tamara, Laura, Kelsey, Tristan, Ruby, Donna, Amity, Maggie, Rowan and Rory are my own creations though, and you know how it goes; just ask if you want to use them. Ooh. who are all these people, well you'll just have to wait and see!  
  
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For the wonderful HM fans on the www.bestcareanywhere.net message board!  
  
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Summary: It's 1965 and when they bump into each other, both Hawkeye and Margaret let slip a painful secret. They were married to other people, and when they divorced the other parent took the children. Now united and in love, it's up to Margaret and Hawkeye to find their children, and bring them together in a loving home  
  
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"Hawkeye!" 41 year-old Hawkeye Pierce turned on his heel at the strangely familiar voice. In half a second, he'd wrapped his arms around a gorgeous blonde woman, and had lifted her clear off the ground.  
  
"My god Margaret, I never thought I'd see you here!" It was the peaceful main road of Hawkeye's birthplace, Crabapple Cove, Maine. "Never mind that, it's so good to see you! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for Ben, Tamara, and Laura." Margaret replied. It had been two years since they had last seen each other at a reunion in California.  
  
"Who? There's no one here by those names, except for me, I'm Ben." Hawkeye chuckled.  
  
"I know you're Ben you moron." Margaret laughed.  
  
"And who might this be?" It was now that Hawkeye noticed the stroller with a sleeping baby boy in it.  
  
"Kelsey, my son, he's nearly one."  
  
"You never said you were married! Oh. . ." Margaret waved her hand at him, it was devoid of any rings.  
  
"I was, married, we met in 1955.." She replied sadly. "We divorced, and the bastard took Ben, Tamara and Laura."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Wait, who?"  
  
"Never mind, who's this?" A solid elderly lady approached Hawkeye, holding a little girl who couldn't have been much more than 16 months old. A couple of kids trailed her, aged around 3 and 4 and playing so noisily that they might as well have been fighting.  
  
"This is Della Hanlon. She minds almost all the kids in town. This is Oscar, and this is Jade, her grandkids. This is my daughter Rowan." He motioned to the kids following Della and then the baby. Rowan was a pretty baby, with her father's fine features, and what Margaret guessed was her mother's colouring as she had china-blue eyes and soft reddish-blonde hair.  
  
"YOU never said you were married either." Margaret pointed out accusingly.  
  
"Well, at the reunion she'd just left me. Came back nine months later and dumps my newborn daughter on my doorstep and made off with Amity, Maggie and Rory." Hawkeye choked and wiped a tear from his eye. Della tisk-tisked sympathetically and looked Margaret up and down making sure to note ever detail to report back to Daniel.  
  
"Who?" Margaret asked.  
  
"Never mind." Hawkeye quickly dismissed it, but Margaret was not to be thrown off course.  
  
"I'll tell you who Ben, Tamara and Laura are, if you'll tell me who Amity, Maggie and Rory are." Margaret bargained. Hawkeye screwed up his face and took Rowan from Della to distract Margaret.  
  
"Thanks Della, this town wouldn't run without you!" Della scuttled off.  
  
"So, who are they?" Margaret demanded.  
  
"Let's take this back to my place, Rowan is just about ready for a nap, and it looks like Kelsey could do with somewhere to lay down too." Margaret smiled and they both began to walk towards Hawkeye's house.  
  
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Miranda's spiel: "I know I'm multi-tasking but in the latest request, (of which there were lots() for H/M fics, I truly got more ideas than could fit into one story! :-P Chapter Two, when they tell their stories coming soon. Kleenex warning here now folks, it's gonna be sad!(" 


	2. Chapter Two: Hawkeye's Story

Miranda's Spiel: "Firstly, thankyou to each and every one of who left reviews. It means SO much to me to get so many glowing reviews! I don't think that I have EVER had so many reviews at one time, seriously! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! In response to a specific query, Rowan is also a girls' name but is generally more popular for boys. Think Brooke Shields' new daughter instead of Mr Bean!"  
  
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"Well?" Margaret queried as soon as Rowan and Kelsey were asleep in Hawkeye's bed, pillows to prevent any falls arranged on either side. Rowan had her own crib in her own room, but they had decided to put the babies together for company.  
  
"Well what?" Hawkeye grinned, his eyes alight, but hiding a definite unwillingness to respond honestly. It was not being honest that scared him, but the pain involved..  
  
"Amity, Maggie and Rory, spill!" Margaret repeated. Hawkeye hesitated and glanced back to Rowan. The little girl was fast asleep, her little belly rising and falling with each deep, rhythmic breath.  
  
"Well. . . I . . ." Hawkeye hesitated again, this time unhappily instead of just stalling. He glanced again at Rowan. Margaret looked at Kelsey, her little son was quite happily asleep and unaware of the world around him.  
  
"Hawkeye, what is it?" Margaret pressed, but more gently this time, sensing Hawkeye's pain. Mutely Hawkeye shook his head, words failing him completely.  
  
"Not here, I can't say it in front of Rowan." He spoke at last and stood up.  
  
"Okay," Margaret followed him from the pretty cream-and-green bedroom to the living room. The house was small, with a bedroom for Hawkeye and a tiny room for Rowan that was two degrees away from being a closet.  
  
"Well, I met a girl." Hawkeye began offering Margaret a seat. She got comfortable on the sofa, and he sat down beside her. When they were settled, she nodded for him to continue.  
  
"Her name was Elaine, and I met her in 1953, just after I got home. Well, I see now that she wasn't at all my type. Completely disinterested in anything that didn't affect her, totally despondent when she had the kids, no real time for anyone, couldn't remember anyone's names, called Dad Darby most of the time. That is of course when he wasn't Derek, David or Dylan. She was so. . . well hopeless. Vague is another word, just let everything else drift by her. I probably could have married another woman and lived with her most of the time, and the only complaint Elaine would make was that she didn't know where her lipstick was because I wasn't around to tell her."  
  
"Urgh! I know the type!" Margaret groaned. "And your father's name is Daniel!" She added indignantly. She had met Daniel Pierce, a sweetly charming gentleman at the 1963 reunion. A fatherly man, like her beloved Colonel Potter, Daniel had quickly fallen in love with Margaret and the feeling was mutual. It looked like they had found a father-daughter relationship that had been lacking in both their lives and for the three days that the 4077th and their families were together, Margaret and Daniel had been inseparable.  
  
"Elaine was hardly the sort of woman I want to be my wife, and the whole town, all 300 of us, hated her. I really shouldn't have married her by all accounts. But I had been very in love with M. . . someone else and I wanted to get over her quickly, so I married Elaine. That was about the only time she showed any action, planning 'her' wedding. It was a big wedding, but during the ceremony itself, she may as well have been asleep. Anyway, in 1954 Amity Rose was born. Such a pretty and clever girl, with black hair and blue eyes, like me, She was 9 the last time I saw her, she'd be 11 now." Hawkeye's eyes began to look misty.  
  
"Oh, how horrible," Margaret murmured.  
  
"Well, in 1956 Maggie, Margaret Danielle was born. Margaret after you, Danielle after my father, the two people that made me who I am. She was stubborn, and such a tomboy! Loved baseball, climbing trees, fishing, basketball, football, riding bikes, and falling over to get scabby knees to compare with the boys down the road. She was sturdy with Elaine's brown eyes and blonde curls. I wanted a boy, but was satisfied with two children. Between working and arranging sitters around my shifts and Elaine's inability to raise children, I was busier than I could take to consider a third child. Elaine didn't mind, didn't care actually. But even the best plans go astray, and in 1962 Rory Benjamin was born. He was well, an accident I guess. My little man must be three now. This house is tiny as you saw and Rory had to sleep in here, the girls had Ro's room. By that stage Amity and Maggie were aware of the tension I felt trying to run the house, and get the money so it ran. They were also aware that Elaine had little to no interest in anything that they did. Well, I made things worse, one day, I was in OR, emergency C-section, healthy twin boys, I still remember it, and just as I finish up, a nurse tells me that there's a call for me. It was Elaine, the babysitter, not Della, had phoned three hours ago, Maggie had fallen out of a tree and was screaming her lungs out. The babysitter couldn't get her to the hospital, she had no car plus Rory and another kid to mind, and Elaine had a hair appointment and could I pick Maggie up? I went, got Maggie compound fracture of the radius and all, and later that night, I kind of flipped, I shouted at Elaine, and so in a sulk, she called her mother, who picked her up and she moved out." Hawkeye paused for breath.  
  
"But where does your little Ro come into this?" Margaret asked curiously. She got up and walked to the bedroom door, where she peeked in, checking Kelsey was still asleep. "Is she Elaine's?" Hawkeye smiled and continued.  
  
"Yes, Rowan is Elaine's. Well, we were sad when Elaine left, we were also relatively happy, we managed fine, it meant that Della practically moved in with us, but that was all okay she was more of a mum to those kids than Elaine had been Then, in about August 62 she decided that she was coming back. She'd only been gone two months. We made up, but she'd developed some new ideas about the way I 'treated her' from her mother and it wasn't long before we were fighting. Take that look off your face Margaret, I just asked her to help out a little more. Anyhow, she decided that she'd had enough of whatever I was 'putting her through' so she complained to her mother again. Mum decided if I couldn't treat Elaine right, I couldn't treat the kids right, and so about a week before the reunion, Elaine's mother comes around, collects the kids and Elaine and leaves. I never mentioned it at the reunion I know, I never felt it was worth it. But then she came back about five months later, and dumps an unnamed two-day-old baby girl on me. It turns out that she had been four months gone when she left, Rowan will be 2 in November. She moved away then, and left me with Rowan, no forwarding address and absolutely no idea of where Rory, Maggie or Amity were, I haven't seen any of them since June 1963." Hawkeye choked more than a little at the thought of two long years without his children, and he noticed that Margaret was crying softly too.  
  
"Hey, Margaret, settle down." He slid over on the couch to embrace his friend. "It's alright, you don't need to cry. Maggie-D. I'm right here it's okay." Margaret leaned into the embrace, glad for the protection.  
  
"What?" Margaret jumped at the name.  
  
"Maggie-D it's what I sometimes called Maggie. I'm sorry." Hawkeye blushed guiltily.  
  
"No, you sounded like my sister. My middle name is Dawn, but Emily used to call me Maggie-D so I'd call her Emmylou. Her middle name is Lucinda" Margaret explained as she sniffled a little more and Hawkeye offered her a hanky. She didn't take it, so Hawkeye gently set about drying her face.  
  
"So why were you crying before that?" Hawkeye asked softly, wiping her eyes with the hanky. Margaret, glad to have the fuss being made of her from someone who was genuinely concerned, tolerated it for a few more seconds, before she began to feel silly, and pushed him away.  
  
"It's a lot like my story." She explained. "You see, Tamara, Ben and Laura are MY children."  
  
"OH!" Hawkeye none-too-subtly checked out Margaret's figure. She noticed that and stood up obligingly.  
  
"See, there's still a bit of a belly there." She wasn't half as protective of her figure as she once had been, but was proud of and loved to share experiences of, her time as an expectant mother. She hitched up the hemline of her top to show a stomach that wasn't perfectly flat, four children would do that, but was still as pretty as it ever had been.  
  
"Well you still look great!" Margaret was assured, and realised that although Hawkeye had not questioned her directly, he was wondering about her considerable bust, which he had successfully eyed off without being obvious.  
  
"I'm a breastfeeding mother." Margaret chuckled. "Doesn't half do wonders for the looks!" She had breastfed all of her children, and was aware and proud of her new curvier figure, with bigger hips and breasts than before. She was also aware that it made her look even more beautiful.  
  
"Yeah." Hawkeye blushed, and for a split second glanced at her chest. "Do you still feed Kelsey?" As quickly as he'd looked up, he looked away from her and then a few seconds later, his eyes settled on her face, which showed complete nonchalance to his indiscretion.  
  
"Yes usually before any sleep times and at lunch. I'm surprised he went down without any fuss today, he missed his feed. I guess the bus ride up tired him out."  
  
"Where are you staying?" The query from a concerned Hawkeye indicated that Margaret's story of her lost children was temporarily forgotten.  
  
"The Cove Inn." Margaret replied, a wail from the bedroom drawing both concerned parents to their feet.  
  
"My left foot you are." Hawkeye hurried into the bedroom. Kelsey, scared about waking up in an unfamiliar place had begun to cry, and had woken Rowan, who although used to sleeping in her father's bed, began to cry all the same, the presence of an unknown and crying baby upsetting her.  
  
Both parents picked up their crying children, and it was some time later before they could continue talking.  
  
"Like I said Margaret, you are not staying there!" Hawkeye said, rocking Rowan who sucked on a bottle. Her little hands grasped the bottle and a contented look had formed on her face as she sucked.  
  
"Hawkeye, I couldn't put you out!" Margaret insisted. "I mean, look how uncomfortable you are just by my feeding Kelsey!" Hawkeye was sitting on his bed, in his room, with Rowan. On the sofa, in the lounge, Margaret sat nursing Kelsey. Hawkeye had been embarrassed by this, and had moved into the bedroom to feed his daughter.  
  
"Well, I guess I finally learned some respect for the female species." Hawkeye replied. Rowan had had enough and crawled down, searching now for some solid food.  
  
"Well, you can come out, I don't mind! It's not like I'm naked or anything."  
  
"Pity." Hawkeye murmured under his breath.  
  
"What?" As Hawkeye followed Rowan out, he denied saying anything.  
  
"And Kelsey's had enough anyway." Margaret finished, puzzled. She put her son on the floor and watched as he and Rowan inspected each other, and warily, began to play with some toys Hawkeye put on the floor.  
  
"You are staying, got it?" Hawkeye repeated.  
  
"Where?" Margaret replied. This stumped Hawkeye. There was barely enough room for one man and a baby.  
  
"On my bed," Hawkeye began, and he could have sworn Margaret's eyes lit up. "I'll have the sofa." He concluded.  
  
"I'm not going to let you hurt your back sleeping on that tiny sofa, I'll take it."  
  
"You will not!" Hawkeye replied, a hint of aggravation forming in his voice, yet loving the sparring match with an old fighting partner.  
  
"I will if I want to! I'll just stay at the Cove Inn!" Margaret retaliated. She seemed to be enjoying the squabble as much as Hawkeye.  
  
"I don't think so!" Hawkeye yelled back. "You have a baby to think of, don't make him stay in a hotel." Hawkeye was a good father, that couldn't be denied.  
  
"Well. I am not going to have you putting your back out just for me!" Margaret had been softened by his last argument. He still knew where her soft spots were, but she was determined as ever to argue and win.  
  
"What do you suggest, we sleep together? In the same bed?" Hawkeye shouted at last in exasperation.  
  
"Fine! I'll go and get my things!" Margaret strode towards the door.  
  
"Take my car, and I'll mind Kelsey for you!" Hawkeye offered with a shout.  
  
"Great!" Margaret slammed the door behind her.  
  
"Hmmm." Hawkeye couldn't make sense of what had passed and mystified as all hell, wondered why that woman still confused him after so long.  
  
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Miranda's Spiel (again): Next chapter Margaret tells her story, and will Hawkeye and Margaret REALLY share his bed? R&R and you'll find out! 


	3. Chapter Three: Margaret's Story

Miranda's Spiel: "Thankyou to all for your reviews! You guys make me want to write, just to please so many people! And without further ado, chapter three of this story, Margaret tells us all her bit!"  
  
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"You are an amazing cook Hawkeye." Margaret smiled. He grinned good- naturedly back at her, across the table.  
  
"Thanks, I had to learn after mom died, and besides, cooking is a sure-fire way to get a girl into your bed." His grin went from friendly to mischievous.  
  
'Why does he still manage to make me giddy?' Margaret thought to herself desperately, blushing as he looked directly at her.  
  
"About that. . . I'm sorry for yelling at you before. I had no reason to. But I will accept your offer and share the bed." Margaret found her voice.  
  
"That's fine Margaret." Hawkeye replied steadily.  
  
'Why can't that woman just get out of my heart?' He added silently to himself. They pottered around for a little longer, each getting their child ready for bed and when that was done, they sat on the front steps of the house, and watched the sunset, while the waves crashed on the beach behind them.  
  
It grew darker, and colder, but Hawkeye and Margaret continued to sit there for a couple of hours, in silence, each musing something they didn't care to let the other in on. Finally, at about nine, Hawkeye stood up.  
  
"Listen, I have work tomorrow, so I'm going to turn in," Hawkeye said.  
  
"I might as well too." Margaret stood up as well. A few minutes later, they were nervously climbing into Hawkeye's bed, both a little anxious.  
  
"You going to tell me about Ben, Tamara and Laura now?" Hawkeye whispered. It was dark, and they were lying in bed, but as far apart as they could manage. At the request, Margaret heaved an audible sigh.  
  
"Okay, I met Thomas Anderson in 1955, he seemed ok, respectable enough and by 1956, we'd married. In 1957 I got pregnant, and we were happy with that. It was a pleasant surprise I'll admit when half way through giving birth to Tamara Elise that the doctor told me I was having twins. Benjamin Thomas arrived not long later and we were happy with the two, it filled our ideal family home, and we had one of each. Tammy has my hair, my eyes, and your heart. Never a fairer girl would you meet, from the time she was tiny, she'd never stand for inequality in any form. Ben looks more like Tom, hazel eyes and straight brown hair, musical, loved piano, guitar, anything with a rhythm and or a melody. They're my goodness, eight now, I haven't seen them for three years. Well, like you and Elaine Tom and I were happy with two, but when they were three, I found out I was pregnant. I had Laura Charity early in 61. She was eleven and a half months old when I found out about Cindy. Tom had been having an affair for he told me six months and he wanted a divorce. Well, I said fine, I wasn't going to hang around a cheating bastard like him, but Cindy decided that she and Tom would be better off with the kids than I would, and one day they picked them up from the sitters without telling me. I haven't seen the kids since. Laura must be four now. I don't even know what colour her hair is. She was still completely bald the last time I saw her. But her eyes were really unusual, one blue and one brown." Margaret paused for breath, a tear running down her cheek. Hawkeye reached across the gap to rub her shoulder soothingly as she faced away from him.  
  
"What about Kelsey? He's a year old isn't he?" Hawkeye asked.  
  
"Well, I never mentioned them at the reunion, I didn't expect to see them again, although I had spent the better part of a year searching high and low for them. Well, after the reunion, I heard from Tom again. He wanted to meet me in New York. I said okay and I travelled up as soon as I could. We ended up fighting, and he hit me, I guess I was knocked out, and he raped me, because when I woke up, I was in the emergency room with a gash on my head and then a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant. Kelsey Jacob was born a year ago tomorrow. I resumed searching three weeks after he was born, and I've been travelling ever since." Margaret began to cry, and Hawkeye gathered her close, rocking her and cradling her against his chest.  
  
There was nothing, Margaret was surprised to find, sexual or pushy in the embrace, it was purely caring, and radiated warmth and compassion. Finding herself comforted more than she cared to admit, Margaret fell asleep, easily. Hawkeye, amazed at how well Margaret's body moulded to his, lay awake for a while, revelling in the sensation of having a beautiful woman lying in his arms, before sleep overtook him and he too, fell asleep.  
  
Rowan's hollers for 'daddy' woke Margaret at about 6, but not Hawkeye. She knew Kelsey, who had been put down in his pram probably wouldn't sleep for much longer and so she got up. She was surprised to find herself still cosily ensconced in Hawkeye's arms, but with practised ease, managed to free herself without disturbing him.  
  
"Hey Rowan." Margaret came into the room, surprisingly Kelsey was still sound asleep. "Wow, you are a big girl aren't you!" The baby was solid, and compared to little Kelsey, Margaret found her heavy.  
  
"Daddy?" Rowan queried as Margaret realised that is was not just Rowan that was heavy, but her diaper, and with a smile began to change her.  
  
"We'd better think about breakfast hey?" Margaret asked, carrying Rowan to the kitchen. She heard Hawkeye's alarm clock buzz, and she turned on a tap nice and loud to let him know where she was. There was an audible sigh from the bedroom and Rowan beamed at her.  
  
"You are beautiful aren't you?" Margaret had found some cereal for Rowan and began getting it ready. "You know what, you're an awful lot like your daddy. But you have your mummy's hair don't you? It's so pretty," Rowan touched her hair, and rubbed cereal in it. Margaret laughed, and Rowan grabbed the spoon, making a bigger mess. Before long, Margaret was also smeared with cereal.  
  
"You're a beautiful girl," Margaret had begun cleaning up. Hawkeye meanwhile was shaving, judging by the whistling from the bathroom. "I can't imagine why your mummy would ever want to leave you alone." Rowan pouted, so Margaret changed topic. "I think I'll tell Hawkeye not to worry about leaving you with a sitter today, I can manage you and Kelsey just fine." Now, judging by the hollers of pain Hawkeye had cut himself. "I wish you could tell me what your middle name is honey, I wonder what Hawkeye could pick to go with Rowan Pierce."  
  
"Melinda." Hawkeye's voice startled Margaret a little, but his clothing, or lack there of, apart from a towel around his waist startled her more. She'd forgotten how attractive he'd always been.  
  
"That's beautiful, Rowan Melinda Pierce," Margaret smiled at the beaming girl and reached her arms out for Kelsey who, she now realised, Hawkeye was holding. "Thanks for getting him."  
  
"No worries, I have to get dressed, and go to work, will you be alright with them until Della comes for Ro? I usually have her with me when I dress, but she seems pretty happy." Ro was reaching towards Kelsey, offering him a sorrowful, well-chewed banana slice.  
  
"Ring Della, I'd love to mind Rowan for you, free of charge." Margaret offered, Hawkeye protested, and Margaret insisted, finally Hawkeye agreed, mostly because he was nearly running late.  
  
"Nap at about one give or take a bit, but don't let it last more than three hours, she'll never go to sleep tonight otherwise." Hawkeye was swinging Rowan high in the air, and she was shrieking with joy as her father explained how to look after her for the day.  
  
"Go, you be late!" Margaret reached for Rowan. Hawkeye hesitated, anxiously. "Pierce do you really think I'm incapable of looking after a baby for a day?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I just hate letting her go." Hawkeye sheepishly admitted.  
  
"I know what it's like. If it makes you happy, what time do you have lunch?"  
  
"I have an hour at 12, I'll meet you at Rose's, it's about five minutes up the road, you can't miss it." Hawkeye jerked his thumb in the vague direction of where the diner in question was.  
  
"Sure, now get!" Margaret ushered him out of the room, and closed the door firmly behind him.  
  
A few hours later, Margaret walked down the street of the quiet New England town. Crabapple Cove was beautiful, very beautiful, she decided, as she shifted Rowan from one hip to the other. Kelsey sat happily in his pram, burbling a baby song, which Rowan seemed glad to join in on from her position high in Margaret's arms.  
  
"I'm visiting Hawkeye Pierce." Margaret explained for the fifth time. She rarely got more than ten yards before a friendly, almost nosey resident of the Cove intercepted her. They seemed genuinely interested in her, and liked her very much it seemed. There had even been a murmur of "Elaine", which considering the presence of Rowan and Kelsey, Margaret chose to ignore.  
  
Finally, she made it to Rose's. Rowan and Kelsey were still singing away happily. She couldn't open the door, with Rowan in one arm and Kelsey's pram in the other, however, Hawkeye arrived that second, and immediately took Rowan into his arms.  
  
"Hello my beautiful girl." He cuddled her tightly. "Here Margaret." He pushed the door open and held it while she manoeuvred the pram into the diner.  
  
"Pierce party for four." Hawkeye told a waitress. She smiled and pointed to a booth in the back of the diner. Smiling, Hawkeye led the way, as they arrived at the booth, an elderly lady caught up.  
  
"Little Ro! How are you today baby face?" Before Hawkeye could protest, she'd whisked the baby off.  
  
"That was Rose." Hawkeye explained, thanking the waitress as she produced two highchairs for the babies. "She's adored Rowan ever since she was born." I'll be lucky to get her back before we order."  
  
"That's sweet. I think I'm in love with the Cove already." Margaret smiled. "You're so close knit."  
  
"Yeah," Hawkeye seemed distracted, as he motioned to someone on the other side of the room. In a second, someone appeared carrying a large cake, with one candle on it.  
  
"Happy birthday Kelsey!" Hawkeye cheered. Margaret grinned, speechless as Rowan was returned to her father. After a joyous lunch, Margaret took the babies home as they were desperately in need of nap. She decided to cook dinner for Hawkeye that night, and when he returned home, he presented her with a huge bunch of flowers, and a beautiful wooden truck for Kelsey.  
  
That night, as the two of them lay in bed, closer than they had started the previous night, but not as close as they had woken up, Margaret mused on life with Hawkeye. She'd only been there two nights, and was loving it already, it was just so full of surprises.  
  
Miranda's Spiel: "Thanks again to everyone who leaves reviews, you guys rock! Here's your chance to become famous now, I'm going to put my favourite review for this chapter in my next one, so R&R and be creative. Please also put a name on them, coz I don't want to put up an anonymous review! Thanks folks!  
  
Oh, chapter four. Hawkeye has another surprise, and Margaret meets Daniel." 


	4. Chapter Four: Plans

Chapter 4 - Plans

Hawkeye smiled and lifted Rowan off the change table. Margaret had been staying for a couple of days and they had both gotten over their embarrassment of each other. Thus Margaret was comfortably nursing Kelsey in the rocking chair a few feet away from Hawkeye.

"Well, does she pass inspection?" Hawkeye turned to Margaret who was now setting Kelsey in the playpen. Picking her way around the playpen and crib, there really wasn't much room, once the necessary baby furniture was in; Margaret approached Hawkeye, and Rowan.

"There," she smiled, straightening the ribbon in the downy hair. "Now she does. And why does it matter that she looks so perfect, not that she isn't an angel to look at anyway?"

"Because we're seeing Grandpa today, isn't that right?" He set Rowan in the stroller, and wrestled for a few minutes, attempting to get the small white shoes on. Failing, he tucked them into the nappy bag hanging from the stroller handles. "And there is an invitation for you, and of course that handsome young man over there." Said handsome young man was now lifted onto the table as his mother changed him.

"I... I couldn't... I don't want to impose. Besides he doesn't even know I'm here." Margaret blushed, as she finished the task of changing her son's diaper. Hawkeye laughed and decided it was time to introduce Margaret to the small-town ways that he'd grown up to love.

"Look Margaret, everyone knows your staying with me by now. You've been here 4 days, that's plenty of time for everyone to have spread the word. Remember Della, the babysitter that you met on your first day here? She probably told Dad as soon as we were out of earshot. So I may not have spoken to him about it personally, but trust me, he knows you're here."

"Well then, I'd be delighted." Margaret said after a second's hesitation. "Just let me get dressed."

"Don't get too dressed up or people will start thinking that I'm formally introducing you to him... if you catch my drift." Hawkeye winked.

_"I wish that were true..." _Margaret surprised herself at that thought, and suddenly found herself daydreaming about a meeting between herself and Daniel, where Hawkeye broke the wonderful news they were to marry.

"Margaret? We have to leave in a quarter of an hour. I may be irresponsible and continually late, but Dad is a stickler for punctuality." Hawkeye's voice shook Margaret gently from her reverie.

"I'll be five minutes" Shaking her head, and wondering what had come over her, Margaret headed for the bathroom, taking Kelsey with her.

"I'll time you," Hawkeye called playfully, glancing at his watch, and pushed Ro's stroller into the lounge, where he flicked on the TV and sat down to wait.

"Ready to go." Margaret reappeared promptly as Hawkeye's watch timed 4 minutes 34 seconds.

"Alright, it's a short walk from here, so as soon as we've packed our things, we'll go." Hawkeye said, motioning to the empty diaper bag belonging to Kelsey. Margaret began putting diapers, wipes, toys and a spare change of clothes into the bag, while Hawkeye searched the house for Rowan's favourite teddy.

The short walk was geographically quite short, but by the time they had stopped to say hello to everyone they had met, the 5-minute walk had stretched to half an hour. However, as they arrived on the doorstep belonging to Daniel Pierce, Hawkeye noted that they arrived 5 minutes before the appointed time.

"Margaret, I hoped you would come. Or more to the point I hoped that Hawk would have the brains to ask you." Daniel grinned as he let them in, informing Margaret that Hawkeye had been right in saying that he would know of her presence.

"How could I not Dad? Especially after the way that you two got on at the reunion last year." Hawkeye laughed and helped Margaret lift Kelsey's stroller into the house, while Daniel took Rowan's.

Over lunch Daniel was introduced to Kelsey, but seeing the pain behind the story, didn't press it, and instead congratulated Margaret on raising a beautiful son. This was a relief for Margaret and Hawkeye guessed that she was normally met with a barrage of questions centering on the whereabouts of Kelsey's father.

Margaret and Daniel it seemed picked up where they left off, and Hawkeye was all too happy to watch the children, while Margaret and Daniel chatted, Margaret becoming more animated and alive that he had seen her since Korea.

By the time Rowan and Kelsey were demanding afternoon naps, Hawkeye was getting restless, knowing that he had to cook dinner, while Margaret and Daniel it seemed were still going strong. The subject of the conversation seemed to be mostly about the two children, but snippets of the conversation were whispered, hushed or spoken in obvious code, leading Hawkeye to believe that it was about him, Elaine or his children.

"It was wonderful to see you again Dr Pierce," Margaret said, buckling a weary Kelsey into his stroller.

"Call me Daniel," The man replied, pulling her into a hug, Surprised, Margaret hugged him back, and after goodbyes were said between father and son, and granddaughter to grandfather, Hawkeye and Margaret began to return home.

The walk was shorter this time, the Cove population respecting the need for the children to go down for their naps, and Margaret was relieved to find herself lying down on the couch, Kelsey and Ro asleep in Hawkeye's bed, while Hawkeye cooked inside fifteen minutes.

After dinner, bathing and bed for the babies, Hawkeye and Margaret had an impromptu picnic on the front lawn, eating Hawkeye's delicious cooking. With a sigh, Margaret stretched back and lay down beside Hawkeye, who was still finishing his chicken.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye put his plate on top of Margaret's to take in later.

"Hmm?" She replied, a touch sleepily.

"I've got something to ask you." Hawkeye lay down beside her, and both rolled onto their sides so they could face each other and talk face to face.

"Go for it," She smiled at him.

"I've just gotten a lead about where Amity, Maggie and Rory are. My second cousin Matthew lives in Missouri, and says that he thought he saw them at the local school, where he lives. Not far from our good Colonel might I add."

"That's wonderful Hawkeye!" Margaret exclaimed, "If you'd like me to care for Ro and housesit for you while you go out there, I will."

"No," Hawkeye laughed and shook his head. "I have something better in mind. It's looking pretty definite that Elaine has settled down there, there are other things that he's told me. Every shopkeeper in town is mad at this one particular lady, demanding and obstinate, makes them order brands in specially for her, and then never comes in and picks the order up, saying she had a hair appointment, or something. There's also always yelling from this particular house, with children about my guys' age now, and a couple of others. It sounds like Elaine, and quite frankly, even if it isn't I don't want to miss out. I'm going to Missouri, and taking Rowan, and you, and Kelsey. I've saved up for this day since she left. I just want my children back. But on the way, we can do a bit of searching, and find your three."

"Oh... Hawkeye... you'd do that for me? But how can we find them? I've been looking for a year now; I've even had the army searching for them. I can't for the life of me work out where they are. I tried the police immediately after he took them, but it looked like he'd skipped the country. He didn't give me any hint where he was living when we met before Kelsey was born, or where the kids were. I've all but given up. He must have changed his name. Or something. I don't know." Margaret had sounded slightly choked up when he'd given his offer, but now there were definite tears in her eyes, and a sob in her voice.

"What I haven't told you is Matthew is in the army. He looks up people who manage to dodge the draft. I've done a little digging with him on your behalf and it seems that your darling husband," The sarcasm in his voice was obvious with the last two words, "Was supposed to do a little time in Korea and didn't. Skipped the country again it seems. They've been hunting him down, he's going to cop it from the army, and with luck, from you on kidnapping charges."

"Oh!" Margaret gasped, and burst into tears of disbelief.

"Hey, Maggie-D it's alright. Really." Hawkeye pulled against his chest, and she didn't fight, burying her head in his warmth and staying there, gasping tears of shock. She composed herself, but not after Hawkeye's shoulder was soaked through.

"Well, when do we leave?" There was hope and unrestrained joy in her voice.

"Two days time Margaret, I figured you wouldn't need much warning seeing as you're living out of suitcases anyway." Over crying, and now touched to the point of being mute, Margaret threw herself at Hawkeye and hugged him so hard he felt his spine crack.


	5. Chapter Five: Misgivings

Chapter 5 - Misgivings

The night before they were set to leave for Missouri to find Hawkeye's children, and meet his cousin Matthew, Margaret and Hawkeye sat down, and explained everything that they didn't know about their stories.

"How did Thomas get away with taking the children? You're their mother, and in most custody cases, the mother wins. That's why even if I do find Elaine I'm going to have one hell of a fight getting the girls and Rory back. "

"There was no custody battle Hawk," Margaret said softly, "Tom just came by and picked them up from the babysitter, told her I'd asked him to, and took off. By the time I'd found out, he was already on a plane. The police, the army, everyone searched, no one could find them. Eventually they closed the case, finding no reason to be concerned for their welfare, I've been alone in searching them since before we re-met and made Kelsey."

"Elaine just took off, the divorce was settled by correspondence." Hawkeye said, he understood Margaret's pain. "I don't know how I'm going to get them back Margaret, I'm a single man in a two-bedroom house."

"You will, Elaine may not be bad for their welfare, she wouldn't hit them from what you've said, but also it sounds like she'd be more than glad to hand them over. She's probably sick of them by now Hawkeye. Your job is easier." It seemed that each of them saw their task more impossible than the others'.

"I have to find them, and convince Tom to stop being such a bastard and give them back to me. I'll take him to court if I have to, but how am I supposed to get my children back? I'm a single mother, I haven't had a steady job in months, I've been living of Dad's welfare and the occasional jobs I can scrape up for the week or so I'm in a city, and I don't own a house." Margaret burst into tears, and Hawkeye hugged her tight, tears also in his eyes as he mused on the seeming impossibility of the task ahead.

"We'll do it Margaret, we will, even if we have to get married to prove that we're can provide a stable family for our children." Hawkeye said firmly.

"You'd do that for me?" Margaret sniffled, her eyes now a watery mess.

"I'd even buy you a house if it helped you get your babies back Margaret." Hawkeye said passionately. Love for his children, and Margaret's 3 of whom he'd never met apparent in his voice.

_"Is that... love?" _Margaret thought, awestruck. _"He doesn't even know Ben, Tamara or Laura. Or is it for me...?" _But Hawkeye's arms were around her now, soothing her tears; keeping her safe and making her feel calmer.

_"Why do I feel so strongly about her children, they're not my own... I wonder what our children would have been like. A little girl named Amanda, after mom and a boy named after whomever she chose. But she seemed happy at the idea of marrying me. I wonder if she loves me enough to make it a real marriage. Mrs Margaret Pierce, my wife, Margaret. How I would love to see BJ and Colonel Potter's faces when I say that. Dad would love it too. He missed out on having a daughter." _

Hawkeye's brain ticked over, as he and Margaret got ready for bed. The sleeping arrangements were far from awkward now, pyjamas not entirely forgotten, but certainly eased up on, as Hawkeye preferred sleeping only in shorts, and Margaret a large shirt. Changing of clothes was now also often done in the same room, backs turned modestly, but if any accidental glimpses were caught, it didn't lead to awkward silences, instead resulting in giggles and smiles.

_"I wonder if he'd adopt my kids when we find them, Ben, Tamara, Laura and Kelsey Pierce sounds nice. So does Margaret Pierce come to think of it... but he doesn't really love me. He only said he'd marry me to show the courts that we would be a stable home for our children. But Tamara and Laura Pierce especially sound good... I'd love children that were Hawkeye's and mine... a little girl and a little boy. It's not too late for me yet. A baby girl named after Hawkeye's mother, Amanda I think it was, and a baby boy, called James Sherman, after my brother, and Colonel Potter of course. That would be just perfect." _No longer surprised by her strange daydreams of a life with Hawk, Margaret let a small smile form on her lips as she brushed her hair.

Occupied with pleasant thoughts of children and a marriage that didn't exist yet, if it ever would, Margaret and Hawkeye talked no more, and slept, peacefully.


End file.
